The city streets glimmered with the fading light of dusk, the shadows growing long and alive as if whispering secrets. Biro's steps were light but deliberate; every instinct, honed by his fragment, screamed at him to remain vigilant. After the alleyway encounter the previous day, he understood the subtle pulse of rifts, the soft shiver of anomalous energy in the air, and the faint scent of lurking creatures that no ordinary eye could detect.
Today, however, survival alone would not suffice. His first real hunting lesson awaited. The mentor's words echoed faintly in his mind: "Observe first. Feel the flow of energy. Every encounter is a key." He could not see the mentor's presence physically, but the fragment responded to the echo of that guidance, pulsing as if impatient.
A narrow alley ahead shimmered faintly, a ripple in reality so subtle that anyone else would pass it without noticing. But Biro paused, crouched, and analyzed. The fragment nudged him toward the anomaly, vibrating against his spine like a heartbeat. He reached out a tentative hand, and a faint pulse of energy radiated from his palm, illuminating the alley in a soft golden hue.
From the ripple emerged the creature—a low-level spawn, quadrupedal, its scales glinting in the dim light like shards of glass. Its eyes, a molten gold, fixed on him with an intensity that was almost intelligent. Above its head, a faint "F-level" indicator shimmered briefly in his vision, courtesy of the system panel.
Biro's heart raced. He could feel the fragment within him, subtle yet insistent, urging him to act. The creature shifted, sniffing the air, testing him as if aware of the fragment's latent power. He crouched, instinctively mirroring its movements, his every sense stretching to anticipate its next strike.
The first clash was chaotic. The creature lunged, claws scraping against the alley walls. Biro rolled to the side, barely avoiding the attack. A pulse from the fragment flared in response to his instinctive movements, amplifying his reflexes just enough to evade. He struck back, not with fire or lightning, but with the raw energy of the fragment—a small surge that staggered the creature briefly.
Minutes—or perhaps hours—passed in an unmeasured blur. Biro learned quickly: the creature preferred the right side, hesitated when confronted with sudden movements, and reacted unpredictably to the energy pulses. Every dodge, every strike, every observation was feeding the fragment, and in return, the fragment guided him, nudging his instincts toward precision.
Finally, with a concentrated release of energy, Biro sent the creature staggering back into the rift, which snapped shut with a faint echo. His chest heaved as adrenaline coursed through him, but he did not collapse. Instead, he stood, feeling the fragment pulse strongly in acknowledgment. Survival had become more than instinct—it was learning, it was strategy, it was mastery in the making.
Yet, as he straightened, a soft laugh reached his ears. Biro turned, heart still hammering, and saw a girl leaning against a nearby wall, her dark hair glinting in the dim city light, eyes bright with curiosity. She appeared ordinary at first glance, yet the faint shimmer of energy around her revealed talent—an F-rank indicator hovered subtly above her in his vision, though invisible to others.
"You handled that… well," she said, her voice soft yet amused. "Most people would have panicked, or worse, run. You… didn't."
Biro's lips curved into a small, hesitant smile. "I… I'm learning," he replied. The fragment pulsed faintly, as if approving the interaction, guiding his instincts not only in combat but in perception of others.
She stepped closer, eyes observing him keenly. "I'm Lyra," she introduced herself. "I… hunt rifts too. Maybe we'll meet again."
A spark of something unfamiliar stirred within Biro—a warmth beyond the fragment's pulse. Connection. Curiosity. Perhaps friendship, perhaps more. He nodded silently, unsure what to say. The fragment vibrated faintly in response, and he felt a subtle surge of energy, a hint of potential interaction, a possibility beyond survival.
As Lyra walked away, fading into the shadows of the city streets, Biro turned back toward the alley, the shimmer of closed rifts still faintly visible. The pulse of the fragment had grown stronger today, more responsive. He could feel instinct giving way to conscious control, skill developing alongside raw power.
And above, hidden in the shadows of the high-rise buildings, his parents watched. Their expressions were unreadable, a mixture of caution, pride, and expectation. They had orchestrated these lessons carefully, allowing Biro to face danger and strangers, to awaken not just his fragment, but his mind, his instincts, and now his heart.
Biro clenched his fists, the fragment humming strongly along his spine. He was powerless by most standards, unknown to the city, yet alive and learning. He had survived his first real hunting lesson, faced a living creature, understood instinct, strategy, and now… tasted the intrigue of human connection.
The night stretched on, filled with distant rift hums, faint monster cries, and the faint warmth of a bond that had just begun.
This was no longer merely survival.
This was the beginning of mastery, of instinct, and perhaps… of something deeper